Head, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences

• Lead and grow a high-impact School at the centre of a rapidly growing health education portfolio at the University of Waikato.
• Play a key role in implementing a graduate-entry Pharmacy programme and the delivery of a refreshed undergraduate biomedical sciences major.
• Provide senior academic and operational leadership to a growing multidisciplinary team, managing staffing, timetabling, resources and programme delivery at scale.
• Lead and coordinate pharmacy and biomedical sciences contributions across a range of health programmes, including the New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine, opening in 2028.

THE OPPORTUNITY

This is a pivotal opportunity to lead and grow the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Waikato during a period of significant expansion and innovation within the Division of Health. With a new graduate-entry Pharmacy programme launched in 2025 and the New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine welcoming its first cohort in 2028, the School is central to the University's ambition to deliver high-quality, future-focused health education that responds to workforce and population health needs across Aotearoa.

The School is positioned for continued growth in student numbers, staffing and programme breadth, alongside the evolution of new teaching models that leverage blended, digital and virtual delivery approaches. This is a role for a leader who is energised by teaching and research, who enjoys building capability and momentum in a dynamic academic environment.

THE ROLE

As Head of School, you will provide strategic, academic and operational leadership for the Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences disciplines. You will lead a growing team of academic and clinical staff, with responsibility for staff performance and development, complex timetabling, resource allocation, budgeting and programme delivery.

A core focus of the role is ensuring high-quality, innovative teaching and learning outcomes, including the design and delivery of scalable curricula using emerging digital and virtual modalities.

Working closely with the Pro Vice-Chancellor Health and the Divisional Senior Leadership Team, you will contribute to strategic planning across the Division, including embedding pharmacy and biomedical sciences expertise within interdisciplinary health programmes. You will also foster strong relationships with professional bodies, placement partners, iwi, and sector stakeholders.

THE CANDIDATE

You will be an experienced academic leader with a strong background in Pharmacy, Biomedical Sciences or a related health discipline. Preference will be given to candidates who can be registered as Pharmacists with the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand. You will bring sound judgement, operational discipline and the ability to manage complexity across people, timetabling, resources and accreditation.

You are open, flexible and pragmatic in your approach to teaching delivery, with demonstrated experience implementing innovative and blended learning models rather than being wedded to a single mode of education. You value collaboration, are comfortable working across disciplines, and are motivated by developing people, programmes and student outcomes at scale.

Importantly, you will bring a strong commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and equity in health education, and the interpersonal capability to lead inclusively, build trust with staff and students, and represent the School with credibility nationally and across the health sector.

The recruitment process for this position is being managed by HardyGroup. For a confidential discussion on the role please contact David Price, ​National Manager, New Zealand. ​The reference number to include in your application is H25_5335

The closing date for applications is Sunday, 25 January 2026

Apply Here